IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - September 2022 - 103

Last Word
The Edu-Sci Ecosystem for a Thriving
Society: Revisiting Foundations of
Responsible Stewardship
Christine Perakslis
School for the Future of Innovation in Society
Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281 USA
 StewardShip iS well-grounded in ecclesiastic
teachings; some credit the Holy Writ of the
Judeo-Christian faiths as the oldest and most influential
source for the concept [1]. The modern university
of the West evolved from such ecclesiastical foci.
The 5th-century forerunners of universities, known as
monastic and cathedral schools, delivered curricula
focused on the theological so as to raise members
of society who would use the resources entrusted
to them to influence the world through devotion to
such spiritual practices as praying and providing services
for the community [2].
Before the 18th century, spiritual principles were
the dominant substructures of European universities.
America's first institution of higher education
(IHE), Harvard University, was founded for the
purpose of training the next generation for ministry;
70% graduated as clergy. Harvard's 17th-century
presidents were clergy. By the dawning of the
18th century, Harvard was a community exhibiting
remarkably robust responsible stewardship using
the resources entrusted to them for such social services
as public health improvements and the construction
of schools, meetinghouses, and roads [2].
Although substructures of universities have
shifted, one primary purpose for IHEs persists: the
discovery and dissemination of knowledge for
the betterment of society [3]. Administrators have
a calling; they are far more than managers. The
word administrator comes from the Latin ad " to " +
ministrare " serve, attend, wait upon " from minister
" inferior, servant " [4]. True administrators have a
servant-first mentality with a mission-based focus
rather than a leader-first mentality with a profit-based
focus.
the leaderShip-firSt-profit paradigm is one of
accumulation and exercise of power (and often
acquisition for personal gain); conversely, authentic
administrators embrace egalitarian approaches
in which the highest priority-their calling-is
to meet the veritable needs of those whom they
serve. These servant-leaders utilize the resources
entrusted to them to serve all stakeholders well in
the educational-scientific (edu-sci) ecosystem; they
help faculty, staff, and students to grow as persons,
become healthier, wiser, autonomous, and more
enriched [3]. Imagine the societal transformation
if more administrators lived out this philosophy.
Ad-ministrares enrich lives, build better organizations,
and ultimately create a more just and caring
world [4]. With such role models, the edu-sci ecosystem
will propagate next generations who will
thrive as responsible stewards.

Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MTS.2022.3197114
Date of current version: 16 September 2022.
 References
[1] R. Bauckham, Bible and Ecology. London, U.K.: DLT,
2010, pp. 11-12.
September 2022
0278-0097/22©2022 IEEE
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